Jeffrey Bassa LB Oregon | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Jeffrey Bassa LB Oregon
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| PLAY STYLE: MULI-ROLE LB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/02/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.63 seconds (73%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 22.5 DOB: 09/20/2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| PLAY STYLE: MULI-ROLE LB | |
| Last Updated: 03/02/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.63 seconds (73%*) | |
| Age: 22.5 DOB: 09/20/2002 | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 83.2 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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79% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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83% |
| Pass Rush: |
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75% |
| Run Defense: |
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73% |
| Coverage: |
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76% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
4th
Overall Rank:
#130
Position rank:
#9
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| College Games: 52 College Snaps: 2326 | ||
ESPN RATING: 79/100
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 90/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.8 (95%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cedric Gray - North Carolina |
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95% |
| Tommy Eichenberg - Ohio State |
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92% |
| Damone Clark - LSU |
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91% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Jeffrey Bassa the Salt Lake City native emerged from Kearns High School as a versatile athlete who dominated on both sides of the ball, accumulating 138 tackles and over 1,000 receiving yards during his prep career. His physical tools and positional flexibility earned him four-star status from multiple recruiting services, with Rivals ranking him as Utah's premier safety prospect with a 5.8 grade (95th percentile).At Oregon, Bassa underwent a positional transformation that showcased his adaptability. After initially joining the Ducks' secondary as a safety, coaches recognized his potential as a linebacker and shifted him during his freshman campaign. The transition proved seamless, as Bassa started seven games in 2021 before emerging as a cornerstone of Oregon's defense. His junior season marked his true coming-out party, earning second-team All-Pac-12 honors while recording 72 tackles and delivering one of the season's most memorable moments – a game-sealing pick-six against Texas Tech. The versatile defender capped that campaign with Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP honors after an impressive nine-tackle performance against Liberty.
The 6'1", 232-pound linebacker entered his senior year as the undisputed quarterback of Oregon's defense, though his final collegiate season hit an early obstacle when an ankle injury in the opener against Idaho limited his snap count through the first month. Despite this setback, Bassa's complete body of work across 52 games and over 2,300 defensive snaps establishes him as one of the more experienced and battle-tested linebackers in this draft class, with a skill set that mirrors the evolving needs of NFL defenses.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Coverage instincts pop on tape – shows natural feel for route combinations and understands how to leverage passing windows with quick-twitch reactions to the throw point.
- Blitz timing jumps off the screen – disguises intentions pre-snap and explodes through gaps with perfect timing to consistently disrupt the quarterback's platform.
- Fluid lower body mechanics in space allow him to break down, redirect, and accelerate without gathering steps that slow pursuit angles against elusive runners.
- Former safety background manifests in his ability to run the pole in Tampa-2 coverage – opens hips smoothly and carries vertical threats with comfort.
- Nasty hand usage when taking on lead blockers – creates immediate separation to avoid getting engulfed and maintains vision on the ball carrier.
- Shows some dog in his tackling approach – drives through contact with proper shoulder leverage and wraps decisively to limit yards after contact.
- Defensive command center who processes formations quickly and communicates adjustments to teammates with veteran confidence pre-snap.
- Multi-phase special teams demon with proven production as both a coverage specialist and core member of return units.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Lacks ideal play strength to consistently hold his ground against climbing offensive linemen who can displace him from gap responsibilities.
- High-cut frame leads to occasional leverage issues when asked to stack-and-shed against powerful interior blockers at the point of attack.
- Overruns some backside containment responsibilities against zone schemes – plays too fast before properly diagnosing flow direction.
- Ball production doesn't match coverage skills – failed to consistently create turnovers despite solid positioning in passing lanes.
- Ankle injury early in 2024 season raises minor durability concerns, though his career availability suggests this is more outlier than trend.
Scouting Report: Summary
Jeffrey Bassa embodies the evolution of the modern NFL linebacker – a hybrid defender whose coverage instincts and blitz productivity align perfectly with sub-package deployment. His transformation from safety to linebacker remains ongoing, with his comfort in space and movement skills translating immediately to nickel and dime situations. What separates him from similar conversion projects is his natural feel for rushing the passer, evidenced by his 27 pressures in 2023 (second among Pac-12 linebackers) and consistent disruption when sent on green dog blitzes.Defensive coordinators running multiple fronts will covet Bassa's versatility as a chess piece who can be deployed from various alignments. His sweet spot comes in pressure packages where he can utilize his explosive first step and natural timing to exploit protection schemes. Teams like Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia – who emphasize linebacker mobility and creative pressure designs – represent ideal landing spots where his strengths can be maximized while his run defense development continues.
While he might not profile as an immediate three-down starter, Bassa's four-phase special teams value provides early roster utility while he develops into a defensive contributor. His developmental trajectory suggests a player who could emerge as a starting WILL linebacker by year two, particularly in a scheme that allows him to play run-and-hit football while limiting his exposure to downhill power concepts. In a league increasingly dominated by passing attacks and hybrid personnel groupings, Bassa's skill set carries significant value as an early Day 3 selection with starter upside.
Jeffrey Bassa percentiles vs other Linebackers (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Jeffrey Bassa (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
102.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
13.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.